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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Latin: Archidioecesis Pauloplitana et Minneapolitana) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The archbishop is concurrently pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of Saint Paul in the city of Saint Paul and its co-cathedral, Basilica of Saint Mary in the city of Minneapolis. Its official newspaper is The Catholic Spirit. The archdiocese has 222 parish churches in twelve counties of Minnesota. It counts in its membership an approximate total of 750,000 people, roughly 25% of the state population. History Prior to the founding of the diocese, the territory that made up the diocese at the time of its founding was under the jurisdiction of a number of different Catholic prelates. Most of these were purely academic as there was no Catholic presence in the area. Among the more notable of these was the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and the Dubuque Diocese. During this later period the church first came into the area with the arrival of missionaries and European settlers. The original see was canonically erected by Pope Pius IX on July 19, 1850 as the Diocese of Saint Paul of Minnesota. The Diocese's territory was taken from the Dubuque diocese, and its authority spread over all of Minnesota Territory, which consisted of the area which now composes the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, which consist the modern archdiocese's ecclesiastical province. The Diocese was originally erected as a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. Its first Ordinary was Bishop Joseph Crétin, whose name, along with that of another notable early bishop, John Ireland, has since become embedded into the culture of the region. In February, 1875 it was transferred from the ecclesiastical province of St. Louis to that of Milwaukee. Pope Leo XIII elevated the see to the rank of archdiocese on May 4, 1888 and its name was changed to reflect this. Pope Paul VI once again instituted a name change for the see on July 11, 1966. Reflecting the growth of the Roman Catholic Church in the region, it became the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the name it retains today. The present Ordinary of the Archdiocese is His Excellency, the Most Reverend Harry Flynn, who succeeded to the post on the retirement of his predecessor, John Roach on September 8, 1995. Ordinaries of the Archdiocese This is a list of the bishops who have served the Archdiocese through its history. Bishops of Saint Paul *Bishop Joseph Crétin † (23 July 1850 Appointed - 22 February 1857 Died) *Bishop Thomas Langdon Grace, O.P. † (21 January 1859 Appointed - 31 July 1884 Resigned) Archbishops of Saint Paul *Archbishop John Ireland † (31 July 1884) Succeeded - 25 September 1918 Died) (was elevated to archbishop in 1888 when the Diocese was elevated to Archdiocese status) *Archbishop Austin Dowling † (31 January 1919 Appointed - 29 November 1930 Died) *Archbishop John Gregory Murray † (29 October 1931 Appointed - 11 October 1956 Died) *Archbishop William Otterwell Brady † (11 October 1956 Succeeded - 1 October 1961 Died) Archbishops of Saint Paul and Minneapolis *Archbishop Leo Binz † (16 December 1961 Appointed - 28 May 1975 Retired) *Archbishop John Robert Roach † (28 May 1975 Appointed - 8 September 1995 Retired) *Archbishop Harry Joseph Flynn (8 September 1995 Succeeded - ) Auxiliary Bishops *Frederick Campbell (May 14, 1999 - ?, 2004) *Richard Pates (December 22, 2000 - Present). Suffragan sees of the Ecclesiastical Province of St. Paul and Minneapolis *Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck *Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston *Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth *Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo *Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm *Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City *Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud *Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls *Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona External links *Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis home *The Catholic Spirit, the Archdiocese's official newspaper Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Category:Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Saint Paul and Minneapolis